U.S. Secret Service agents and a Palm Beach County sheriff’s deputy shot and killed an armed man early Sunday after authorities said he breached the secure perimeter outside Mar-a-Lago, President Donald Trump’s private club and residence, during a predawn confrontation near the property’s north gate.
The shooting, which investigators said happened around 1:30 a.m. on Feb. 22, 2026, triggered a multiagency review led by the FBI and renewed attention on security at a high-profile site tied to the sitting president. Officials said Trump and first lady Melania Trump were in Washington at the time and no protectees were on the property. The man’s motive was not immediately known, and authorities said they were working to piece together his travel, his intent and how he got as far as an inner security area before officers stopped him.
Authorities described the man as a white male in his early 20s who approached the entrance area carrying what appeared to be a shotgun and a fuel can. Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said two Secret Service agents and one of his deputies responded after security personnel detected someone inside a secured area near the north gate. When officers confronted him, Bradshaw said, they ordered him to drop what he was holding. The man set down the fuel can, the sheriff said, but then lifted the shotgun into a firing position. The agents and deputy shot him, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
By Sunday morning, investigators identified the man as Austin Tucker Martin, 21, of North Carolina, according to officials briefed on the case. Authorities said Martin had been reported missing by his family several days earlier. Officials said they believed he traveled south toward Florida and picked up the shotgun during the trip, rather than bringing it from home. Investigators said they recovered the gun’s packaging from Martin’s vehicle and were trying to map his route and determine where the weapon was purchased. No officers were hurt, and officials said there were no shots fired by the suspect beyond the movement that prompted officers to open fire.
The confrontation unfolded at one of the main access points used by staff and visitors and close to South Ocean Boulevard, the narrow coastal road that runs past the oceanfront property. Authorities said the man got through as a vehicle was exiting the north gate, slipping into the secured area before officers closed in. Law enforcement held the scene for hours while investigators documented where the man entered, where he was confronted and where the shooting occurred. Officials said responding personnel were equipped with body cameras and that investigators would review video, radio traffic and any security footage from the property and nearby homes.
Federal and local authorities asked residents living near Mar-a-Lago to check doorbell cameras and other home security systems for any footage that might show the man’s movements before he reached the gate area. Investigators said they also planned to review surveillance from businesses along major routes into Palm Beach and to examine license plate reader data where available. A senior FBI official said agents were conducting interviews to build a clearer picture of Martin’s state of mind, including whether he left messages, searched for the property online or contacted anyone during the trip. Officials said they were also working to notify next of kin and to handle evidence from the vehicle and the scene.
The Secret Service said the agents involved in the shooting were placed on administrative leave, a routine step after an officer-involved shooting while investigators review the use of force. The FBI was expected to take the lead on the criminal investigation, with the Secret Service and the sheriff’s office supporting the evidence review and internal assessments. Officials said the investigation would include standard forensic work, such as ballistics testing, medical examiner findings and a review of communications between security posts around the property. Authorities said they would also examine whether the man crossed multiple security zones and how quickly officers responded once an alert was raised.
Mar-a-Lago serves as a private club and as a residence for Trump when he is in Florida, and it has long been treated as a sensitive site by federal authorities. The property’s public profile increased during Trump’s first term and remained high as he returned to the White House. Even when the president is not on site, the Secret Service maintains protective operations around locations connected to him, and local law enforcement often coordinates traffic and perimeter control during major events. Officials said Sunday’s incident occurred when the president was not in Florida, but they emphasized that agents are trained to treat any breach of a secured area as an urgent threat.
The shooting also landed amid a broader national focus on threats against political figures and public officials. Trump survived two assassination attempts during the 2024 campaign, episodes that reshaped his security posture and became central moments in a period marked by political violence across the country. Officials have said in the past that threat streams can surge around major rallies, high-profile court developments and closely watched votes, though investigators stressed that they had not established any clear political motive in the Mar-a-Lago case. Authorities said they were keeping open the possibility of mental health factors, personal grievances or other motivations until they could complete interviews and review the man’s digital footprint.
At a briefing outside the property, Bradshaw described the decision to shoot as a response to an immediate threat. “He put down the gas can, raised the shotgun to a shooting position,” the sheriff said, adding that officers fired to neutralize the danger. A Secret Service official said agents gave clear commands before shots were fired and that the man did not comply in a way that removed the threat. Another official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss preliminary findings, said the weapon appeared capable of firing and would be handled as evidence pending lab analysis. Authorities said they would not speculate on whether the man planned to set a fire with the fuel can.
In Washington, the White House acknowledged the incident and praised the security response. A spokesperson said the president had been briefed and that the Secret Service acted quickly to protect a secured site, though the spokesperson declined to discuss operational details. Officials said the president and first lady remained in the capital following weekend events and were not in danger. Trump’s schedule for the coming week was expected to proceed, though aides said security assessments would be updated as investigators learn more about the suspect’s intent and movements.
Nearby, the scene around the club was unusually quiet for a Sunday morning as law enforcement vehicles blocked access points and investigators worked behind tape. Some residents paused along sidewalks at a distance, watching officers move in and out of the secured area. A Palm Beach resident who lives several blocks away said he woke up to sirens and later saw officers diverting traffic away from the oceanfront road. Another resident said security in the area has felt tighter in recent years but that the early morning timing and the report of a shotgun made the incident especially unsettling.
Investigators said they expected to release additional information after completing next-of-kin notifications and reviewing early evidence, including the man’s travel history and any communications. Authorities said they were also coordinating with agencies in North Carolina to collect background information and to confirm when the missing-person report was filed. The medical examiner’s office was expected to conduct an autopsy, and officials said toxicology results could take weeks. Law enforcement leaders said they would provide updates as the FBI completes interviews, video reviews and forensic testing.
By late Sunday, officials said the scene had been processed and the focus had shifted to reconstructing the hours before the man reached Mar-a-Lago. Investigators said the next public update would likely come after the FBI finishes an initial evidence review and the medical examiner confirms key findings.
Author note: Last updated February 22, 2026.